Bunion cushion



Jan. 29, 1952 N, w KEAGY 2,583,652

BUNION CUSHION Filed Dec. l5, 1949 IN V EN TOR.

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Patented Jan. 29, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE This invention relates generally to orthopedic appliances and is particularly directed toa cushion:` used to relieve pressure on bunions, corns, or,.other. malformations of the foot.

One of the objects of this invention is to providey a cushion which may be applied directly to the wearers foot and retained thereon by the hose, the` cushion` substantially surrounding the alfected area of the foot and preventing the transmission of pressure from a shoe directly to the affected area, the cushion being composed of arelatively compressible material containing a plurality of connected interstices so that the cushion may flex with the foot and, figuratively, breathe when the wearers foot is moved.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide arbunion cushion comprising a substantially circular-body of `soft spongy material having a recess in one side and tapering from the intermediate portion toward the spaced ends provided A by the recess, the outer side of the body being convex', While the side adjacent the inner end of the' recessis provided with a concave indentation. This particular formation permits the pad, or, cushion to be applied to the foot with the spaced ends, on either side of the aiected portion, the concavearea lying closely adjacent to the affected area and the pad operating to absorb the pressure of the shoe and prevent it from contacting the.. bunion.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bunion cushion having a crescent-shaped body of soft sponge rubber, the spaced ends of the body tapering from all sides towardl the extremities thereof, the main body portion at the substantially central area thereof having a concave surface on the side adjacent the space between the ends, this concave surface being located on the underside of the body.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bunion cushion having a crescent-shaped body with a relatively thick intermediate portion terminating in cone-shaped ends, one side of the body at its intermediate portion being concave, this concavity being formed in the relatively thick portion of the body at the side adjacent the space between the ends, the body being formed of sponge rubber so that it may be readily compressed, but will resume its natural shape upon the release of pressure, whereby the device will breathe in response to the action of the wearers foot, the surface or" the body being full of minute recesses which are connected with interstices permeating the entire body. In other words, the body is devoid of any exterior covering, or, skin sothat air may move freely into and out of. th

pores in the body.v A

Further objects. and advantages of: the.` present.` invention will be apparent from the followingr shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the bunion cushion inverted,V

Fig. 4 is a vertical' sectional view taken through the cushion on the plane indicated by the line IV-lv of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a foot having a bunion thereon showing a pad formed in accordance with the present invention applied to the foot, and,

Fig. 6 is a side elevational View of a foot shown in Fig..5, with the bunion cushion applied thereto.

Referring more. particularly to the drawings, the numeral 20 designates` the bunion pad in its entirety. This pad includes a body 2l which is substantially circular when viewed in plan and is formed of a relatively' soft spongy material such as sponge rubber.. This body has a recess 22S formed in one side, thus giving the body a substantially crescent-shaped configuration. The.

recess provides spaced ends 23 on the body, the latter progressively increasing in thickness from' thespaced ends tothe intermediate portion thereof. As seen from the section in Fig. 4, the body is generally rounded, or', convex on its outer side 24, which roundedv shape extends completely to thespaced ends, these ends are thus given a substantially conical formation in the nnished cushion. Also,` as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the body of the cushion is provided on its underside adjacent tothe inner end of the recess 22- with a concave indentation 25 which is ofprime importance, this recess, or, indentation permitting the pad to be placed in close proximity to a bunion without resting directly thereon. When the device is applied, it is placed directly on the wearers foot with the spaced ends on opposite sides of the bunion, as shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings. The concave indentation extends partially over the bunion and the Chose is then applied to the foot, the hose serving to retain the cushion in place. Due to the consistency of the rubber material, the cushion will naturally adhere to the foot and will not be Fig. `2` is aplan view of a bunionu cushion: as`

3 displaced, while the hose is being applied thereto, or, the foot inserted in a shoe. The cushion removes the pressure of a shoe from the aiected portion of the foot and permits any soreness, or, inflammation previously occurring to subside, thus giving the wearer considerable relief. The cushion distributes the pressure of the shoe over a greater area of the foot and relieves the bunion entirely of such pressure.

Due to the spongy consistency of the body, the cushion may be compressed and expanded innumerable times without becoming solid, or, packed. Upon each compression and expansion of the body, air will circulate therethrough and the areas of the foot contacted by the pad, thus protected from becoming sore or iniiamed. If desired, the cushion may be made in different sizes to adapt it to large, medium, or, small feet.

It Will be noted from Fig. 4 that the bulk of the central portion of the body is disposed ybelow a horizontal plane, designated by the line A-B, passing through the spaced ends when the cushion is held in a horizontal position. The concave depression extends slightly above this plane. Due to the shape and depression in the body, the latter is caused to more closely conform to the shape of a human foot with a bunion, or, similar deformity.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

l. A bunion pad comprising a highly compressible sponge rubber body of substantially circular outline when viewed in plan, said body being recessed at one side to provide spaced conical ends' connected by a thickened curved central portion having a concave under surface on the inner side adjacent said recess.

2. A bunion pad comprising a crescent-shaped highly compressible sponge rubber body tapering from its central portion `toward each end, `the under surface of saidl central portion being concave on the side adjacent the recess between the ends.

3. A bunion pad comprising a crescent-shaped highly compressible sponge rubber body tapering from its central portion toward each end, the under surface of said central portion between the fili conically pointed ends, the thickness of said body progressively increasing from the pointed ends to the central portion, the under side of said body being indented on the side adjacent said recess.

6. A bunion cushion comprising a curved highlyV compressible sponge-like body terminating in spaced pointed ends, said body having a Web-like portion extending therefrom between the ends and at the upper side of said body, the underV side of said web-like portion being concave and blending smoothly into the under surface of said body.

'7. A bunion cushion comprising a body of highly compressible sponge-like consistency, said body being substantially crescent-shaped when viewed from above, the thickness of said body increasing from the spaced ends toward the central portion, the underside of said body being indented adjacent the side between the spaced ends, the edge of the body between the spaced ends terminating above a plane passing through the ends and substantially through the center of said body.

8. A bunion cushion comprising a crescent-` shaped rubber body having a multitude of interstitial spaces opening to the exterior thereof, said body having a generally circular section in any plane perpendicular to the mesne curved centerline, the body being recessed on the inner under side adjacent the mid-point between the ends of said body.

9. A bunion cushion comprising a rubber body having a multitude of interstitial spaces opening to the exterior thereof, said body havinga pair of spaced generally conical ends pointed in the same direction and in the saine plane, said ends being connected by a progressively thickened curved intermediate portion extending above and below such plane, said curved intermediate portion being provided with a concave recess on itsv under inner side.

10. A bunion cushion comprising a rubber body having a multitude of interstitial spaces opening to the etxerior thereof, said body having a pair of spaced conical ends pointed in the same general direction and in the same plane, said ends being connected by a curved intermediate portionV progressively thickened from the ends toward the center and extending above and below such plane; and concave recess in the inner side of said curved intermediate portion below said plane.

NELLIE WANNETTA KEAGY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

